


Love in the Past

by myanimeaddiction23



Series: Love in the Past [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, F/M, Falling In Love, Love, Mate bonds, Mates, Mentions of Cancer, Naraku hasn't been defeated yet, New Relationship, Romance, Time Travel, past illness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-06-29 12:04:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15729057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myanimeaddiction23/pseuds/myanimeaddiction23
Summary: Kagome brings her new friend Casey to the Feudal Era. Something InuYasha and Kagome's mate Kouga don't like. InuYasha refuses to trust Casey. Until he realizes there are reasons why she wanted desperately to leave behind the present and jump head first into the past.Will update summary as story evolves.





	1. Chapter One

      “You need to run faster, Kou, or I’m going to be late.” Kagame’s voice was caught in the wind, but she was sure that her wolfish mate heard every word she said and the exact tone she said it in. 

      “I’m running as fast as I can. Maybe if you had packed _lighter_ than we wouldn’t have this problem.”

      “No, if you hadn’t distracted me this morning than we wouldn’t have this problem.” She couldn’t help but smile as she teased him, risking to remove one of her arms from around his neck before poking him slightly in the side. Her and Kouga’s mating was still in the “honeymoon phase.” At least that’s what it was referred to as in the future. Much to her friends’,especially InuYasha’s, distain they couldn’t seem to keep their hands off of each other. 

      She was lucky though, she knew that much for sure. After Kouga lost the rest of his pack in an attack from Naraku he had joined their small group. The had remained friends for weeks before slowly moving onto something more. But the second her life had been put in serious danger their mate bond had immediately clicked into place, everyone assumed that it had taken so long because she was human. True bonds between demons, whether half-breed or not, and humans were rare. But the moment the mate mark had appeared on the inside of her wrist it had been a complete game changer for them. Kouga had waited to fully mark her though; he had wanted to be sure she was okay with how her life was going to change afterwards. 

      She was brought out of her thoughts when Kouga started running faster, jumping over things that lay on the forest floor in their pathway. She instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders; even though she knew he would never drop her. At least not again. As she adjusted her hand for a better grip the small band she wore around her finger caught the slight rays of sunlight that shown through the tree tops. It was a more delicate silver match to the one that Kouga had on his own finger. Bonded pairs usually don’t wear anything but the bond markings to show their matings, but with Kagame being human he had reluctantly agreed to the piece, especially after Kagame had explained the significance of the rings. He never took it off, even in battle or when he was washing up afterwards, and neither had she. 

      Kagame came to her senses fully as she felt Kouga begin to slow down. It was only then that she noticed that they had finally reached the clearing the sacred well was in. Saying goodbye to her mate was the hardest part of having her feet firmly planted in both worlds. Though now with the help of the bond Kouga could now come to her world; if he wanted to, though recently he only came to drag her back to the past. To her home. Him being able to travel through the well was a good thing, fat better than she had expected. He now understood exactly where she was come from and why she had acted so odd for so many years, not that her acting odd had changed at all since their mating. Kagome knew that even once Naraku was defeated they would still keep the link between the two worlds open for as long as possible for a few reasons. It was one of the reasons she had decided she needed a friend, someone who would understand what she was going through more than the friends she had from the past. She had thought about telling the friends she already had in the future, but that would cause more problems. She had given up on bringing anyone else with her until she had started talking to Casey and they had clicked immediately. 

      Her friendship with Casey had started simply enough online. Kagome had been mindlessly scrolling through her favorite blog site when she stumbled upon an amazing webcomic. She had binge read every page that had been posted so far, staying up way later than she had planned and paying for it the next day when she had to return to the past. Her new online obsession had gone from silently lurking and paying a monthly subscription to get the artist’s content faster, to commenting way too much, to finally messaging and having long conversations with the artist. It was in those conversations that they had become as close as any friends could become; some days it felt like Casey lived right next door. They video chatted as often as they could and eventually revealed secrets about themselves. Kagome could still remember the moment she had _finally_ told Casey _everything_. 

 

      “Okay, last time we were here I _finally_ broke down and told what was actually going on with me for the past three years. It’s you’re turn this time.”

      Kagome couldn’t help but smile as Casey’s voice filled the room before her big green eyes and brown curly hair finally filled the screen. Her pale skin seeming to be luminescent from the glow of the computer screen and the lamp that was turned on next to her. Kagome couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of her as Casey words finally reach through the fog of her mind; of course she was instantly demanding things. That was Casey’s way, after all; something Kagome had learned early on in their friendship. It was still unbelievable how well this friendship worked between them. Casey knew there were things Kagome was hiding and, after Casey dropped her own bomb two weeks ago, Kagome knew it was her turn to fess up. She still had no idea what Casey’s reaction would be.

      “Okay, okay okay,” she said, lifting her arms up in mock surrender. “But you can’t interrupt me until I am done.”

      “Okay.”

      Kagome could hear the wariness in Casey;s voice as she took a deep breath before finally saying, “I have a magic well at my family’s shrine. It has the power to take me back to Feudal Era Japan where I have a group of friends. We search for something called the Shikon no Tama-“

      “The Sacred Jewel?”

      “No interrupting remember,” Kagome said, trying desperately to judge Casey’s expression. Once she was sure there would be no more interruptions she finally continued, “I shattered it when I first arrived. Entirely by accident, I might add. I mean, it’s not like I had ever even shot an arrow before that moment. So it’s not like it was _completely_ my fault. But ever since then I’ve been helping InuYasha find the shards. We are trying to keep in out of Naraku’s hands because who knows what kind of evil he will bring if he gets ahold of the entire thing. He has a large portion of it, but our piece is bigger and we don’t plan on letting it fall into the wrong hands.” Kagome stopped and smiled when she finally noticed Casey had her hand raised as if she was in some classroom waiting to be called upon by the teacher. “Yes?”

      “Who exactly is we? I mean who all is in your group? Who are your friends from the Feudal Era? Is that cute Kouga guy in it? Is he from the past?”

      “Yes, Kouga joined our group about six months ago when Naraku killed the last of his pack. There’s also Shippo, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara. Miroku is a monk, Sango is a demon slayer, Kirara is a two tailed cat demon, Shippo is a fox demon, Kouga is a wolf demon, and InuYasha is a half-breed. I _hate_ that word. He’s a hanyou; he’s half human and half dog demon. I can send you pictures if you would like or if I need to prove myself a little more. Even I have to admit this is a lot to take in and it’s really complicated, along with being a little unbelievable”

      “I would love to see pictures of everyone, but honestly I think I believe you. I mean we talk about once, maybe twice, a month if we are lucky. So I’m assuming the gap between our conversations is due to you being away, plus it makes how Kouga looks make so much more sense now. How does it work? I mean why are you able to travel through the well? Can anyone do it? Could I?”

      “I can now because of the mate bond I have with Kouga. We are connected that way and whatever magic governs the well it can’t separate us or break our bond. It also means that he can come through the well, though he doesn’t do that very often. Before I knew about the bond I always carried the jewel shards around my neck. I mean it was the jewel being embedded in my body in the first place that started all of it. InuYasha and I just assumed that was the link, but even that doesn’t explain why InuYasha can travel through it. With him, I can’t help but wonder if it has more to do with Kikyou and the sacred tree than the jewel itself. Don’t even get me started on Kikyou; that’s another story I think would be better off coming from InuYasha.” Kagome had expected the shocked silence that settled between them, but what she hadn’t expected was the laughter the emanated from Casey once she realized Kagome was done with her story.

      “That sounds so exciting.”

      “Really?”

      “You’re going on an adventure every day. What’s not to be exciting about that? I mean look at me and my life. You have to admit you definitely win. Not only are you going to unknown places and putting yourself in constant danger, but you have Kouga. And then there is me, who hasn’t even been out of this state in two years. I’m lucky my parents even let me leave the house. And dating. That’s a nonstarter for them. I hardly have friends at this point”

      Kagome could hear the longing and regret in Casey’s voice, it wasn’t the first time she had heard it and she couldn’t help but wonder if she could help in some way. It was then that a crazy idea clicked inside her head. “Would your parents ever let you study in Japan?”

 

 

      She was shaken out of her thoughts as Kouga finally stopped and set her back down on solid ground. Kagome still had no idea how they had ended up convincing Casey’s parents into all of this, but she was glad they had. This experience would be good for both of them, not just herself. She took a moment to gain her balance; as many times as she had ridden on someone’s back she still couldn’t get used to it. She always felt a little unbalanced once her feet hit solid earth. 

      “You know I hate this.”

      She could hear the frustration in his voice. She hated leaving him, but not only was she bringing someone new into their tight-knit group, but she was also going back for more supplies. The plan was to get Casey used to Japan a little before diving head first into the past. Though, both Kouga and InuYasha were only giving her a week before they came to drag her back through the well. They were finally gaining a momentum that no one in their group wanted to lose; they were so close to defeating Naraku once and for all. She was hoping it wouldn’t come to that. Although, Casey had seen many pictures of everyone in the group Kagome knew the two males were a force of nature that very few people could handle at once. 

      “I’ll be back before you know it, Kou,” she said, reaching up and wrapping her hands around his neck. She kept her eyes locked on his as he slowly lowered his head towards her own. “I love you and give you full permission to drag me back in a week.”

      “You get five days.”

      His voice was harsh but as she met his gaze she realized how worried he was that something would happen. That something would keep her from him.

“I thought-“

      “Yasha and I talked about it last night. There’s no sense wasting too much time. Neither of us know what you have planned, but if you think this girl will come with you it needs to happen sooner rather than later. You’ve talked to her about all of this right?”

      “Of course, she knows exactly what she is getting herself into. The only people who are completely clueless in this situation are her parents. She didn’t want to tell them. She was afraid they wouldn’t let her come.”

      “She’s eighteen right? Isn’t she technically considered an adult in your time?”

      “Yes, but it’s far more complicated.”

      “So uncomplicated it for me.”

      She knew he hated being in the dark about things; especially when they involved anything to do with her or her safety. “It’s not my story to tell. She has to do that. And she will, eventually. I promise.” She gasped as he immediately embraced her tightly. 

      “Please come home soon,” he softly whispered in her ear. 

      “I will.”

      She climbed on to the ledge of the well still holding onto Kouga’s hand for extra support. She squeezed it one last time before finally letting it go. She didn’t look behind her again before she finally jumped into the well. She knew if she saw his face one last time she wouldn’t rush things way too quickly for Casey and that was the last thing she wanted to do. As darkness surrounded her she let the magic take her back to her future. 

 

      Casey took a deep breath as the plane began it’s finally descent into Tokyo. She couldn’t believe she was finally here. After talking to Kagome for a over year now; along trying to convince her parents to let her spend her Senior year of high school in Japan she couldn’t believe it was actually happening. She was so excited that she got very little sleep on the plane. In fact, she had been so nervous that she had gotten very little sleep for the last week. The fatigue was finally catching up to her and she was in desperate need for a shower and a good night’s sleep. Looking at her watch, which she had already switched to the correct timezone, she realized it was only three in the afternoon and nightfall was still a hours away. She knew it was going to be a long day; she only hoped Kagome would take pity on her and go easy on whatever she had planned.

      She wanted to explore her new home. Or at least the home she would be visiting part of her time in Japan. She realized there would be another world she would be calling home most of the time. She still couldn’t believe that Kagome’s mother had agreed to allow her daughter to bring someone she never met into their home. They had already worked things out with the school as well. They would be returning slightly more often than Kagome usually did and going to school as if everything was normal, but while they were in the past Kagome’s mother would be teaching them from home. It worked out considering how often Kagome missed because of all the fake illnesses her family told people she had. And with Casey’s own ill past it was the perfect excuse. They had given her parents and the school the same excuse. She couldn’t help but think back on the conversation that _finally_ convinced her parents about this trip.

 

      “Mom, you _have_ to let me do this.” Casey knew she sounded ridiculous and was beginning to think she was becoming a broken record since this was the only conversation her and her parents had been having lately.

      “I don’t have to let you do anything, _Cassandra_. I’m your mother. The only thing I am supposed to do is keep you clothed and fed and generally healthy. And before you say another word my main focus right now is the latter of the two.”

      She couldn’t help but rolled her eyes; she always knew she was talking to the stern business side of her mom when she used her full name. “I’m eighteen years old. I am technically an adult so I don’t even need your permission.”

      “You are still in high school.”

      “It’s not like that is _my_ fault,” she took a deep breath, knowing anger was not the way to get through to her mom. “I already lost a year and a half of my life. Please let me have this year away to make up for it. I can’t go back to _that_ school.”

“What about your friends?”

      As her mom’s tone of voice softened Casey sat down at the kitchen island. “What friends? The ones who I don’t I don’t see outside of school anymore or the ones who won’t even talk to me anymore.” She waited until her mom came around from where she had been standing next to the sink before finally saying, “I can’t do _this_ anymore, mom. I can’t take the looks I get every time someone realizes who I am. Teachers and students both give me the same pitiful look and I can’t take it anymore. Even the very few people who still talk to me treat me differently now. I _need_ to start over.” She buried her head in her shaking hands; this was the last thing she could think of that might convince her mother into letting her go. It didn’t hurt the situation that all of it was true. She took a deep breath before looking up and continuing, “Kagome knows everything and her mother is equipped to deal with sickness. Kagome misses a lot of school for chronic illness and her mother supplements home school on the days she can’t make it into school. I’ve already talked to her and she is more than happy to do the same thing for me. Even the school has agreed on the arrangement. I’ll go see doctors while I’m there. Hell, I will promise to go to the hospital for the slightest fever if you let me go.”

      The loud sigh her mother gave her brought her head up before her mom finally said, “I want to talk to Kagome’s mom about all of this. I want to know exactly what the plan is and if they are prepared if worse comes to worse for you.”

      “Really?”

 

      She couldn’t believe the adventure she was about to go on, especially when she had thought for the past three years she wasn’t sure she was going to make it to this moment. It had been a long, exhausting battle. But with Kagome knowing pretty much everything from her past she was excited for where she was heading.

      As the plane finally touched down, the roughness bringing Casey out of her thoughts, she began gathering the things she had brought onto the plane. She was thankful her parents had upgraded the ticket she had bought on her own to a first class ticket instead. The extra legroom and the fully reclining seat helped her to feel more comfortable and relaxed. She had also been able to work on her web comic while in the air thanks to being able to plug her computer and tablet in. She carefully put her electronics safely away in her backpack. She was thankful for the hours she was able to work, knowing her friends, parents, and the few fans she had would be wanting to see her work continue in Japan.

      The web comic had been something she had started about two years ago, during one of her longer stays in the hospital. It was the only thing that kept her mind off the pain she was in. If had been her dad’s suggestion after he had found her stash of drawings. He had even gone as far as researching and buying the best drawing tablet on the market. As she added more and more comics to her Tumblr account and more and more people began following her, interacting with her and commenting on her art, she realized people actually cared about her art and the story she was tell through it. She knew her parents would be checking her page regularly so she would need to be uploading as frequently as she could and also get pages set up to post during certain time periods. 

      She finished collecting things around her seat and situating herself to depart the plane as it continued to taxi to the gate. Kagome had sent her an email before she had left saying they would be outside of customs waiting for her. She was a bundle of nerves and couldn’t seem to sit still in her seat, her leg bouncing to a rhythm all its own. All she wanted to do was exit the plan and head out on the adventure her and Kagome had planned. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone who has read this! Sorry this chapter is going up later than expected. I would love to see more people enjoying this and letting me know what they think.

**Chapter Two**

 

      Kagome rushed out of the small, rickety building the well was housed in and ran quickly into the house. Her mother was waiting for her in the kitchen, with Sota and grandpa sitting at the table eating some sort of pickled snack. She didn’t have time to examine too closely what exactly they were consuming as she breathlessly said, “I’m here. Sorry. We had a late start leaving this morning.” A part of her desperately hoped that no one would want any more details beyond that.

      “That’s okay, dear. There’s still plenty of time to get to the airport. I got a notification awhile ago that her flight had been delayed an hour.”

      As always her mother was quiet and calm, but the knowing look that she was now giving Kagone was more than a little unnerving. When it came to her mother at least, it wasn’t like she could hide what had made her late leaving the camp site that morning. Her mother knew all too well what her relationship with Kouga was like at the moment; especially now that they were fully bonded mates. Kagome had told her mother and the rest of her family before she and Kouga had completed the bond; Kouga had even gone as far as accompanying her through the well to meet her family, She wanted everyone to meet him, but more importantly a part of her had wanted to get her mother’s approval. She had also known if her mother had disapproved in anyway to what she had been doing in the past the her mother would have put a stop to it and would have probably destroyed the well by now. But, of course, her worries were for nothing; Kouga had won over her family within minutes. 

      “Yeah, but we better get going now. I don’t want us to be any later than we already might be.” Kagome said, walking through their small living room, making her way towards the front door. She looked back, quietly waiting for her mother to grab her purse and car keys off the small table near the entrance to the house before they both finally headed out to the car. As the deafening noise of Tokyo hit her ears she was thankful for the time she spent away from it all. She loved the modern things she used to help her friends in the past, but the noise and the bright lights that completely filled the night sky, devoting it of any stars, was something she would never truly miss. 

      Kagome and her mother sat in comfortable silence as they made their way slowly to the airport. Traffic in Tokyo was always a killer with workers making their way slowly home from long days and delivery drivers making weaving through the dense traffic to make their deliveries on time. It wasn’t until they were getting ready to park that her mother finally broke the silence that had fallen between them.

      “Are you really _that_ nervous?”

      “A little,” she paused biting her bottom lip slightly before finally adding, “I mean, we’ve talked for hours every chance we could get for the past year, but what if we realize that the reason our friendship works is because of the distance between us. What if we run out of things to talk about? What if she doesn’t like the past? What if InuYasha does _something_ stupid and offends her and she decides she’s better off going home. What if—“

      “Honey, calm down,” her mother’s voice filled the space in the car as she reached over, gently squeezing her hand before adding, “you will drive yourself crazy with all the ‘what ifs’ and the doubts running through your mind right now. You will just have to let things happen naturally between the two of you. She clearly loves the past; if you doubted _that_ , even a little bit, then you wouldn’t have had this plan in the first place. And InuYasha is bound to offend her. That’s his nature. I would be far more surprised if he didn’t.”

      Kagome couldn’t stop herself from laughing a little too hysterically. Her mother was right, about _everything_. As she finally gained some control over herself and her laughter faded, she took a deep breath before finally getting out of the car. She waited in the hot summer sun for her mother to get out of the car; she knew they would be waiting outside the customs area for Casey. Kagome’s nerves began coming back as they made their way to the main terminal building; as they grew closer to the building she heard her mother’s phone go off with the very familiar text tone she always used.

      “Well, that’s her. She’s made it off her plane, has her luggage, and is heading towards customs now. She thinks it might be a long wait because her flight was pretty busy; her sitting first class though will make it easier; she should be one of the first few through customs.”

      “Can I borrow your phone? I would love to message her while we wait.” Kagome said, reaching out immediately when her mother offered it to her instantly. 

_Hey, this is Kagome. How was the flight?_

_Long, just waiting in line at customs now. Can’t wait to get through customs and finally see you in person…though I have to admit I’m a little nervous._

_Me too, but more excited than anything else. We were almost late getting here because of me._

_How?_

_Let’s just say Kou was a huge distraction this morning. He was trying desperately to delay me as much as possible._

_How did he take the goodbye? You said before that he hates you going back and fourth through both worlds._

_It gets harder every time. He and InuYasha are only giving us five days before they come dragging us back through the well. Sorry about that, I really thought we would have more time here._

_That’s okay. I’m excited to get to the Feudal Era and meet your friends. I’m next up! Talk to you in a few._

_See you on the other side._

      “She’s up next,” she said, handing her mom back her phone and sitting down next her on the bench. 

      “Good. Shouldn’t be too long now.” 

      Kagome kept her eyes trained on the escalators that separated them from those arriving; she watched as person after person descended the steps, but none of them were Casey. She was starting to get nervous when she looked at her watch one last time before she heard and small, happy scream coming from up above. When she finally looked up she saw Casey making her way quickly down the escalator, apologizing to everyone she quickly passed by. Kagome immediately stood up waiting until Casey cleared the pathway of the escalator before she ran towards her friend. When they finally collided, arms immediately wrapping around each other tightly, she whispered, “It’s about time you got here.”

      Casey was the first to pull back before saying, “I got here as quickly as I could. You were the one who let your mate distract you in bed this morning.”

      Kagome gave her a shocked look before whispering, “Shut up! Not everyone need to know the intimate details of my relationship with _my_ mate. Especially _my mom_.”

      “I’m sure she already has some ideas about what your relationship is like with Kouga. And I don’t think even _I_ need or want to know the intimate details about your relationship.”

      They both began laughing as they walked, arms interlocked, back towards Kagome’s mother who was still sitting on the bench Kagome had left her at. Kagome couldn’t help but notice the smile that had spread across her mother’s face as her and Casey approached, “What?” she asked, curious as to what could be the cause of the smile. Her mother very rarely smiled away from home. Kagome was never sure why, but had a feeling that it had something to do with herself and the danger she put herself in every day she was in the Feudal Era. 

      “Oh, it’s nothing dear. I’m just glad to see you so happy and to have a friend to take with you on your adventures.”

      “Geez, mom, way to embarrass me. You’re acting as if I don’t have any friends” Kagome said as they began walking towards the terminal’s exit and back out into the heat and noise of Tokyo. Before they got too far Kagome turned back towards Casey and said, “Casey, this is my mom.”

      It’s very nice to meet you Mrs. Higurashi. Thank you _so_ much for letting me come and stay in your house.”

      “Honestly, it’s you that I should be thanking. I’m glad to see Kagome so happy and happier to know that she has someone from this era to bring her back safely to me.”

      “Mom, I told you, Kouga is more than enough protection for me over there. Casey is here strictly as a friend. Some one who will completely understand where I’m coming from.”

      “I know dear, but having another ally won’t hurt anything now will it?”

      “Yeah, I guess your right.”

 

 

      As they walked out of the terminal and the cacophony of sound of Tokyo finally consumed her Casey couldn’t stop the smile that immediately spread across her face as they continued the long walk towards the Higurashi car. Kagome had eagerly taken her heavy carry on as soon as they had finished hugging inside the airport; all she had to worry about were the single suitcase she was rolling behind her. It had slightly shocked her parents at how little she had wanted to bring with her. She had figured out that anything she might have forgotten she could easily just pick it up once she arrived safely in Japan. A part of her hadn’t wanted to bring too many things that had been a part of his past; certain items were a constant reminder of where she had been, a place she was running away from and didn’t want to dwell on anymore. She was happy with the clothes and personal items she had chosen to bring, including the few pictures she had decided to pack, none of which were from the last two years. She didn’t need _those_ kind of reminders. 

      “So, girls, what are your plans today?” Kagome’s mom asked once the luggage was safely put away in the trunk and they were all sitting comfortably in the car. 

      “Well, I figured we would just take it easy today.” Kagome’s voice broke the silence as her mother weaved the car in and out of the busy airport traffic, “I thought we would hang out at the house for a bit and then head out to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner. That is if Casey up to it.”

      “That sounds perfect. I surprisingly slept some on the plane so I’m not completely jet lagged.”

      “Sounds like you two have a plan then. Casey, have you messaged you parents yet to let them know you arrived safely?”

      “I sent them a message once we had landed letting them know. I haven’t heard anything, but that’s not too surprising since it’s two in the morning back home.” Casey said with a smile, having to remind herself that it actually wasn’t home anymore. She couldn’t remember the last time it had felt that way either. She tried to keep the smile plastered on her face; even as she felt it slowly faltering. She shook her head of the negative thoughts that had begun to cloud her mind. She smiled as she looked out the window. It was easy to forget the past completely when the sights of Tokyo were what now greeted her. She had never been able to fully explain her fascination of the Asian culture; she knew it had started with her completely diving down the rabbit hole of anime that had been suggested to her through Tumblr. After that she began diving more into every aspect of the culture; learning the language was one of the things that connected her with Kagome. In a lot of ways she was thankful for all the time she spent in the hospital; then again she hated what it all had done to her, not just physically but also the mental she had also gone through. Tearing her eyes away from the window she pulled the ponytail holder from her long brown hair, letting the curls fall down past her shoulders. She also began to focus on what Kagome and her mother were currently discussing. It seemed that Kagome’s mother was wondering if she would introduce Casey to her few high school friends before the summer break ended or if she would be waiting until that first day of class. 

      “Considering Kou and Yasha are coming to drag us back in five days if we don’t come back ourselves I’ll probably just wait until closer to class starting. Sorry again, Cass. I tried getting them to relent at least a little bit, but I got nowhere with Kou. He’s becoming worse than Yasha at this point.

      Casey could hear the slight annoyance that coated Kagome’s voice as she talked about the two males. “I’m actually okay with their decision. I’d much rather head there sooner rather than later,” Casey said, knowing Kagome wasn’t too again at her mate for his decision, “I mean, don’t get me wrong I’m sure there are a ton of things I still need to learn about present day Japan, but spending time with you and your friends in the past is the entire reason I came here.” There was more she wanted to say but knew that those things would have to wait until she and Kagome were alone. There were things even Kagome’s mother hadn’t been filled in on. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!!  
> This is my first InuYasha fanfiction and would love feedback, comments, or even kudos! Come follow me on tumblr at myanimeaddiction23 (https://myanimeaddiction23.tumblr.com)
> 
> Next chapter will be up soon!! Hopefully it doesn't take me as long as this one!


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it has taken me so long to post this. Been dealing with a lot lately mentally, but I'm hoping I'm past a lot of the issues I've been having. I'm hoping to update more soon. Here's a long chapter for everyone who's liking this story so far.

      Kagome watched as Casey began to slowly pull items out of her suitcase. When she had first noticed the single suitcase Casey had brought with her she couldn’t help but wonder if her friend would have everything she would need for the coming year. It was Casey herself who had reassured her that she didn’t want to bring a lot of things that wouldn’t be used for most of her time in Japan. They had arrived back to the house from the airport over an hour ago. Casey had willingly talked to Sôta and grandpa for some time before Kagome was finally able to pulled her away just ten minutes ago. 

      “Are you sure you’re okay going out for a little bit tonight? I mean if you’re too tired we can always postpone things for tomorrow and just stay in tonight.” 

      “You’re kidding me, right?” Casey said as she pulled out a tank top and pants from her suitcase, “I mean, I just flew eighteen plus hours in a small, confined space, I’m definitely seeing Tokyo today. I’m not going to just sit around your family’s shrine on my first night. Especially when I only have five days to enjoy it all. At least for the time being.” 

      “I really am sorry about that by the way. Stupid overprotective wolfish mate.” 

      “Oh stop, you know you love Kouga more than anything. Like I said before it’s completely fine; the five days is definitely not the point, we will have more days here eventually. Besides I always thought waiting a whole week, or even more, was a little much, especially with how hard headed you have made your mate and InuYasha out to be.” 

      “It’s a good thing that you are more than prepared for their attitudes, especially InuYasha’s. He hates this entire idea more than any of the others. He thinks you might slow us down.” 

      “Did you tell him I’m stronger than I look, even with the treatments I had to go through, I’ve been training, preparing myself for this for the past nine months. I mean, you and I both know I’ve had past experience with protecting myself in some way, shape, or form.” 

      “I mentioned it once to him, but, like usual, he completely ignored it. I haven’t even bothered mentioning it again since; I thought it might be more fun to watch you kick his ass the first time he even tries to insult you.” 

      “Now I highly doubt my skills are that good, and if they are maybe InuYasha is the one slowing your group down.” They both broke into a small fit of laughter before Casey finally asked, “Do you mind if I take a quick shower before we head out.” 

      Kagome paused for only a second at the quick change of subject before finally saying, “Oh, of course not. Take all the time you need. I’ll wait for you downstairs. Whenever you’re done we can go grab some dinner.” 

      She watched as Casey gathered a few things into her arms before heading down the hall towards the bathroom. Once Kagome finally heard the water turn on she made her way back downstairs. She smiled at the normalcy that greeted her. Her mother was in the kitchen cleaning the lunch mess Sôta and grandpa had made while they had gone to the airport, grandpa was outside sitting quietly on the bench they had recently placed underneath the sacred tree, and Sôta was in the living room watching some action movie, becoming just as animated as the characters on screen as they prepared for a big battle. 

      “Everything okay, honey?” 

      Her mother’s voice broke through her thoughts. She turned around and saw that her mother was standing by the kitchen table, finally finished up with the dishes. Kagome smiled, taking a seat at the cleared off table. “Yeah, Casey is just taking a shower before we head out for a bit tonight.” 

      “Is she up for something like that considering the long flight she just had?” 

      Kagome knew her mother’s concern was coming from a genuine place, but she also knew that Casey wouldn’t want to be babied while she was in Japan. If she had wanted that she would have stayed in the comfort of her own home back in the States. “Yeah, I already asked if she wanted to go out or stay in tonight. She was adamant in her decision of going out, especially with our time here being cut short.” 

      “I’m sure Kouga and InuYasha wouldn’t care about giving you two a few more days if she really needed it.” 

      “Um, mom, have you met InuYasha and my mate? I’m not even sure who is worse at this point.” Kagome smiled, thinking about the two men that caused her so many headaches. She knew that it came from a good place, especially where Kou was concerned, but it still drove her insane how much they liked to control her. It’s why she ignored their commands most of the time; she had to do something to keep them on their toes. “Besides,” she finally said, after a few minutes of comfortable silence, “Casey wants to see Tokyo. She doesn’t want to be trapped inside anymore. I think a part of her is even more excited about being in the Feudal Era than she is to be in the present.” 

      “Alright,” her mother said, giving Kagome’s shoulder a quick squeeze as she passed by her. 

      Kagome sat there quietly watching as her mother made her way outside, taking the empty spot next to grandpa. It was then she pulled out the old phone her mother had given her; it was a few years old, but still did all the basic functions she would need anytime she was in modern day Tokyo. She had thought it was silly for her to get anything new for only the short periods of time she was here; especially when those times would be fewer and farther between once she finished high school. She scrolled through social media, seeing what Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka were up to. They seemed to be enjoying their summer vacation; taking pictures around Tokyo, going to amusement parks, and going to the beach. For a split second Kagome envied them; some part of her still desperately wanted to be a normal teenager, but, looking down at the ring that was wrapped delicately around her finger she knew that was never going to be the case. She had known long before her and Kouga had even mated that she was never going to be considered normal. The way her life was now was her new normal and thinking about Kouga always had a way of instantly changing her perspective. He had become her driving force to defeating Naraku. She wanted to help him avenge the pack he had lost, the family and friends he would never be able to see again, and eventually help establish a new pack with him. As those thoughts filled her mind she also couldn’t help but wonder if any other wolf demons would even want to be apart of a pack where the Alpha planned to lead with a human mate by his side. She hoped in the end that she wouldn’t be holding him back from what he had desired the most for so long. 

 

 

      Casey took a deep calming breath as the water from the bath settled in over her pale skin; it had a way of warming her to the bone and was a reminder that some things, and some feelings, never changed. It didn’t matter where in the world she was; the feeling of water over her skin always grounded her and calmed her. Ever since she was young that’s how she felt; even when she was sick, especially when she had been sick. Baths had been a way for her to relax and escape. It was the same feeling she got whenever she was drawing; the pen, whether it be regular or its electronic counterpart, always had a way of bringing her back to solid ground, bringing back some kind of joy in her life, some kind of normalcy when her life the past three years had been anything but. It especially helped when her emotions were as off kilter as they were now. She still had to wonder if she had made the right decision. She had told her parents everything would be fine, but a small part of herself dwelled on what exactly she would do if she got sick again. It was, of course, something she refused to think about too often. She had realized a while ago that she didn’t have a solid plan; which, for some who planned out almost everything was a terrifying notion to have. She knew that she would eventually need to talk about her fears with Kagome, and subsequently talk to InuYasha as soon as she met him, since he was the leader of the group and she would to some degree be following his orders. As much as she wanted to keep her past diagnosis a secret from her soon to be new friends she knew that that wasn’t a safe option for her. Especially when cancer always had a way of coming back when you least expected it to. Even when you were in remission. 

      She dragged her head underwater, hoping to clear it of the thoughts that were just beginning to overwhelm her. When she resurfaced seconds later, taking a deep breath of the humid air, she could feel a smile instantly break across her face as thoughts of going to the Feudal Era began to flash through her mind. She couldn’t wait to see the places and the people she had heard so much about and had only gotten glimpses of in the pictures Kagome had sent her. 

      She finished her bath quickly, drying off and getting dressed in the clothes she had brought into the bathroom with her. The tank top she wore clung to her still damp skin and the jeans hugged what little curves she still had. Although she had gained some muscles over the last few months of her training she had yet to gain back all the weight she had originally lost. She headed back to the bathroom with her bag of makeup and hair products. She had brought a few bottles of her go to mousse to bring with her to Japan; it was the only thing that kept her curls under control. The best thing about it was that the results lasted days after washing. She thought if she needed to bring anything from this era to the past it was the only hair product she actually used daily. After dealing with the unruly curls she threw on a bit of makeup; she was never one for anything over the top, which was probably another reason why Kagome thought she would do well in the Feudal Era. 

      Casey smiled as she made her way back downstairs, finding Kagome sitting in the kitchen on what looked to be an older styled phone. “Hey,” her voice came out a little weaker than she had intended. She felt slightly awkward, as if her and Kagome had never talked face to face before. Of course, any face to face communication they had had in the past was strictly through a computer screen but it still counted. 

      “Hey,” Kagome said, cheerfully as she finally looked up at Casey. “You ready to head out and grab something to eat?” 

      “Yep, I’m starving and ready for something that doesn’t taste as bad as hospital food,” Casey said, watching Kagome stand up and following her out of the house. “I feel so much better getting the funk of traveling off of me. Now if only I could shake this jet lag,” she said, feeling as if she had to break the silence, and as if on cue a yawn began to escape her. She hated how tired she felt and hoped that getting out of the house, even for just a couple of hours would help to regenerate her, or at least give her her second wind. Although, by now, it was probably more like her fifth. 

      “Don’t worry, we won’t stay out too late. And you are free to call it an early night and go to bed as early as you want.” 

      “Well, I’m not about to throw in the towel yet. I think I can make it until at least seven.” Casey couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of her. She had never once in her life gone to bed earlier than midnight. She was a night owl through in through. Which also made being a high school student who had to wake up at six in the morning that much more difficult. It had been a slight relief when her parents had decided to pull her out and home school after she had gotten sick. 

      As they stepped outside the Higurashi residence Casey couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as the bright sun began to warm her skin. They waved goodbye to Kagome’s grandfather and mother, who were both sitting under the sacred tree. “So that’s were you found him, right?” she finally asked once they began making their way to the nearest bus stop. Kagome had already purchased her a pass for the bus and subway and handed it to Casey as they walked. 

      “Yeah, that tree was were InuYasha was pinned when I went through the well for the first time. That was so long ago and we are just now finally close to beating Naraku. I am so ready for the fighting to be over with, at least for a little while.” 

      Casey could hear the worry that coated her words. She didn’t know what Kagome had been going through that last few years, but from what she had been told she could only imagine how stressful it was for her. The past year alone Kagome had mentioned how many close calls they had had as a group or how many times Kouga or InuYasha had saved her or took a hit from a demon that had been meant for her. She was terrified of losing Kouga, but then again she was scared to lose any of her friends. 

      “Have you thought about what you’re going to do once it’s all said and done?” Casey spoke quietly as they got on the bus that would take them closer to the downtown area and where they were going to eat. 

      Speaking just as softly Kagome took a deep breath before finally saying, “Kind of depends. If I’m done with high school beforehand my visits to this time will probably be far less frequent, at least for a while. Kouga’s ready to have a pack again so that’s first priority after we’ve defeated Naraku and have destroyed the jewel. If that happens before this year is up then I’ll finish high school before anything else.” 

      “So, you’re not going to be crazy and start having kids right away?” Casey asked, laughter slightly overwhelming her once again. It was hard to believe how easily that came now that she was away from home and the reminders it caused and the looks she always got from her parents. 

      “Oh hell no, I told Kouga I wanted to wait at least a little while after all the fighting is over with. I want to enjoy the calm before we start having a family. Though, my money is on Sango and Miroku being knocked up within weeks of the defeat.” 

      They both then lost themselves to laughter as they rode the rest of the way in almost silence. Casey’s eyes were focused on everything that passed by. The sign and people that walked the busy sidewalk fascinated her; she wondered how long it would take her to get used to everything, especially once she was bouncing back and fourth between the present and the past. 

 

 

      Kagome smiled at the sound of Casey’s laughter. Before coming to Japan Casey had told Kagome countless times how little she laughed anymore. It was frustrating to her being surrounded by constant reminders of her illness. Even now Kagome suspected that even she didn’t know the full extent of how bad it had all gotten for her friend. She hoped one day Casey would finally tell her everything, but she wondered if she was waiting until they were in the Feudal Era before divulging anymore of her past. If Kagome had been in her shoes she would have acted the same way. She would only want to relive that kind of pain once if need be. So why not wait to spill everything when she was finally surrounded by those who needed to know the most. Kagome wasn’t completely stupid, though. She knew small details, which had lead her down a dark internet search of various types of brain tumors and how they attacked and affected the body. She couldn’t help but wonder if Casey was scared that it would all come back if she so much as thought about it too much. 

      “So, where are we going to eat?” 

      Casey’s voice was what brought her out of her thoughts. “I figured we could just grab something quick from WcDonald’s if thats okay. And if you’re up for it we can do a bit of site seeing and maybe a little shopping. I need to stock up on a few things before we have to go back to the past. I know we are running low on some of the medical supplies after the last fight with Naraku we had. If we don’t get supplies tonight we can always stock up in the next few days.” 

      “Yeah, that all sounds good.” 

      They sat in a small comfortable silence for a few more moments until the bus finally reached their stop, “This is us,” she said quickly, standing up and leading Casey out onto the busy street in the downtown area of Tokyo. She could tell by the look alone that was currently plastered on Casey’s face that she wasn’t at all regretting the decision she made about coming to Japan. At times Kagome couldn’t help but wonder if she had slightly pushed her friend into coming to Japan. Had she in someway come off as desperate? 

      “Hey, Kagome!” 

      Kagome heard the familiar voice call her name as the began to approach the restaurant. When she finally caught sight of her friends her heart sank slightly. She had hoped to introduce Casey to them closer to when school started. She didn’t want to overwhelm her with her friends in the present and her friends in the past. “Hey, guys, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” she said, hoping to keep the slight disappointment out of her voice. She wanted Casey to meet her friends she just wasn’t quite ready for their overpowering personalities just yet. She wanted Casey to get used both past and present Japan before introducing her to the friends she would eventually be leaving behind permanently. 

      Eri was the one to speak up first, which wasn’t surprising since she had become the sort of leader of the small group of girls.“We called your house since you are never online and you mom said Casey had just arrived today and you two were getting her used to Tokyo. So, knowing your love for this place, we decided to crash your plans.” 

      “Hope that’s okay, Kagome.” 

      Ayumi’s voice was quieter; she was much more hesitant than her other two friends. Kagome gave what she hoped came off as a reassuring smile before finally saying, “It’s fine. I’m glad I ran into you guys. Especially since I won’t be around much this break.” 

      “Are you starting to get sick again?” 

      The worry that clouded Yuka’s voice and was reflected on the faces of the other two made her feel slightly guilty about having to lie to them for so long. Casey was the one to quickly speak up, breaking up the small silence that had fallen between the group as they made their way into the restaurant. 

      “Of course not. Kagome wanted to show me more of Japan than just Tokyo; so for the next few weeks she and I will be traveling a bit. I’m really looking forward to it, though I slightly feel bad that she won’t be spending a lot of time with her friends here.” 

      “Oh, that sounds like fun. Where all are you planning on going? Maybe we can plan on hanging out at some of the places.” 

      “Especially if you are planning on going to the beach.” 

      Eri quickly interrupted Yuka as they all began placing their orders at the counter. Kagome noticed the employee giving them a strange look and she couldn’t help but wonder where it came from. She knew it probably stemmed from the fact that Casey, who didn’t look at all Asian with her curly light brown hair and deep set eyes, was surrounded by a group of high school girls. Casey’s looks were always a little misleading; the treatment for her cancer taking away some of the youth that might have been there otherwise. It was her eyes that gave that a way. They were more mature looking than anyone their age Kagome had known. “We are going camping for a while and visiting some of my relatives that I haven’t seen in years who live in the countryside. I really just want to get Casey used to everything before the next semester starts.” 

      “Oh, well even that seems more fun than what either of us are doing.” 

      “Yeah, I mean we are just going to end up staying here for the most part during this vacation.” 

      “My dad is even making me work in the store. What I wouldn’t give to not have to do that all break.” 

      Kagome sat back and listened as her friends continued to talk about their own summer plans before they started to ask Casey questions. 

      “So what made you decide to spend you last year of high school away from all of your friends?” 

      Kagome almost stepped in; wanting to tell them that it wasn’t their business to know the reasons for Casey’s arrival. Of coarse, she should have known that Casey would come prepared with answers to the questions everyone at school was bound to ask. 

      “I’ve been home schooled for the past two years, actually, and instead of my parents sending be back to school with people I no longer talked to. I thought studying abroad would be more fun. At least this way I’m starting over completely. I don’t know anyone at this school and no one knows me so we are all on even footing.” 

      “Why were you home schooled? Was it a religious thing?” 

      “Oh no, nothing like that. It was a personal choice for me and my parents. I was going through some health issues and missing a lot of school so my parents thought it would be best if my mother started home schooling me.” 

      “Oh, well then it totally makes sense as to why you’re staying with Kagome.” 

      “Yeah.” Both Casey and Kagome replied in unison, giving each other a small knowing look. The rest of dinner the five of them sat in somewhat comfortable silence, with Kagome and her friends making occasional idle conversation. She and Casey kept giving each other knowing looks. She knew Casey was desperate for her friends to leave; they both wanted desperately wanted to talk about their plans for the Feudal Era. 

      It was almost six o’clock when they all finally finished their meals and finished their small amount of chatter. Once back outside Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri said their goodbyes before they headed in the opposite direction of where Kagome and Casey were heading. As they walked down the busy sidewalk she couldn’t help staring into shop windows as they passed them down the busy street. 

      “Sorry about my friends,. They can be a little intense at times.” Kagome said, breaking the slice that had fallen between them. 

      “Oh, that’s fine. It was nice meeting them. At least this way I know a few more people when school finally starts back up.” Casey smiled, but Kagome knew she had more on her mind. “How do you do it?” She finally asked as they waited for the street lights to change and the walking signs come on. 

      “Do what?” 

      “Seem to keep solid footing in both worlds. I’m nervous about fucking things up here. I mean what if I slip up and say the wrong thing to one of your friends or any of the other kids at school? What if the others in the Feudal Era don’t like me or we don’t actually mesh well together?” 

      “You’ll be fine. I promise you won’t slip up when you are in this era. And, honestly, even if you do I don’t think it would matter. I’ll be around and I’ve gotten pretty good at coming up with crazy stories to cover up anything I’ve let slip in the past. And don’t worry about the guys in the Feudal Era. I know everyone will love you. I’ve told you time and time again everyone is easy to get along with. With the exception of InuYasha and Kouga, that is. And Kouga will love you by default because of me.” She smiled and gave Casey a friends nudge as they broke into quiet laughter. 

      “I know, I guess I just feel like I’m going to have to work really hard to prove myself. Especially to InuYasha. I can’t help but wonder if I’m really up for it.” 

      “You are. And InuYasha will come around in his own time. He doesn’t trust new people most of the time.” 

      “Well, considering what you’ve told me of his past that’s completely understandable.” 

      As they walked along, visiting another local shrine and stopping into a few of the smaller less crowded shops, they returned to the comfortable silence. Breaking it only when one of them would make a funny comment or pointed out something interesting to each other. Kagome knew that their laughter was helping to shake off some of the nervousness that weighed heavily on Casey’s shoulders. As the sun began to set they began making their way back to her home where they would be spending the next few days relaxing and preparing Casey even more for the Feudal Era.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! Casey will finally be meeting InuYasha and Kouga in the next chapter I promise!  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!!  
> This is my first InuYasha fanfiction and would love feedback, comments, or even kudos! Come follow me on tumblr at myanimeaddiction23 (https://myanimeaddiction23.tumblr.com)
> 
> Next chapter will be up next weekend!!


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